Risk factors associated with problematic alcohol use in adolescence: The preventive role of mindfulness

Problematic alcohol consumption in youth is known to be related to social, health and financial problems, generating huge costs for the public health system. A number of studies describe early onset of drinking as being associated with an increased risk for developing alcohol dependence. However, this relationship is mediated by contextual (e.g. family history of alcoholism) and individual (e.g. problems of impulse control) risk factors. Therefore, prevention programs aim to reduce both problematic drinking and detriments of existing consumption. One of the most developed psychological approaches in recent years is mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), also termed a part of third wave cognitive behavioral therapies. Recently, MBIs were applied in the treatment of substance dependence. Nevertheless, there are only a few studies which intend to analyze the role of mindfulness in the field of prevention, examining its effects on associated factors of risky alcohol use and related problems of this consumption in youth.